GERMANY - DDR
Despite some mental confusion (possibly
mine alone, but not helped
by a lack of information from DDR
M56 experten...) regarding the
later versions of this helmet, I feel
confident in saying that this
version, with three rivets placed
high in the crown, is the
first and original! That's something
certain then, around which
we can all orient ourselves.
This helmet entered service from
1956 onwards
This liner, with four rubber spaces,
is similar to the German
WW2 helmets, and entirely unlike that
on later models.
There is a shell stamping, a Roman
2 above 75 above 64. What's
that mean then?
Some of these early three-rivet
shells had the later plastic
liner cradle (see below) retrofitted.
How did this work?
OK, now I'm confused. This may well be the second version of the M56, which still has the three upper rivets, but has been retrofitted (?) with six stud-type spikes inside the shell to take the new standard plastic liner spider.
Here you can clearly see the inside end of the old upper rivet
and two of the new welded-in studs.
What I do not understand is where the version with the plastic
liner and six rivets set low down on the shell comes in. Did this
actually go into service or was it just a prototype? Information
please!
DDR militaria collector (and fluent German reader, who has actually made sense of the parts of Baer Vol 2 that I couldn't understand!) Henk van der Waarsenburg from the Netherlands offers this explanation of the various types of M56, which certainly looks convincing to me:-
(Regarding the type with both outside rivets and internal spikes) "This type of helmet is not rare, It is a transitional model and many thousands of them were made. Over here is is commonly known as the M56 Type 2. Type 1 being the first with the WW2-like liner. Type 2 the old shell with the new liner, Type 3 the new shell without the rivets outside and the new liner. And then there is a Type 4 which is like Type 3 but as you lay them up-side down on a table the Type 4 will lay still because the top of the helmet is flat. This is on plain view hardly noticeable.
On the M56 with the six rivets on the outside, I have found in the book from Baer volume 2 photographs where you can clearly see them, but in the text he is stating that this was done by the manufacturer when during test it came clear that the first model bolts came loose when the helmet was shot upon during trials. So these helmets with the six bolts on the outside are used during the test phase of the second type liner and are therefore extremely rare."
Henk van der Waarsenburg
This is actually a very ingeniously designed liner, easily assembled using press-studs, and once it is examined out of the shell it proves to be highly adjustable. Great design!
This specific helmet also had the foam-rubber pads as is typical fit with this liner, but were missing when I acquired it; traces of dried foam on the liner pins demonstrated they were once there.
Final pattern
shell, no external rivets.
First pattern
has three high mounted
rivets, second has three rivets and six internal spikes, the third has no external
rivets....and a rounded top, and the fourth has a flat top! Eeeee!
Have I ever seen one, and probably didn't even notice.....
Second (or is it third?) pattern
liner, plastic cradle fixed
to six internal spikes welded into
shell.
The foam rubber pads are standard with this plastic and leather
liner.
This version came into service
from 1967. Several other national
armies have used this model, particularly
since German reunification
when it was supplanted by the M862
Kevlar helmet, and stocks sold
abroad.